Media reports Israel obligating Syria-bound Iranian airliner to go back

(MENAFN) Israeli military forces reportedly forced an Iranian airliner to change course and leave Syrian airspace over the weekend, citing concerns that the plane may have been carrying weapons for Hezbollah, the Lebanese militant group. The incident occurred from Saturday to Sunday, involving several Israeli fighter jets, which allegedly threatened the Mahan Air flight before it could land in Syria. Media outlets like Ynet and The Times of Israel reported on the event, with Ynet sharing a flight map of the journey that originated from Tehran, traveled through Iraqi airspace, and was forced to return.

This incident follows a similar one from October, when a Qeshm Fars Air flight from Tehran was also forced to turn back by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) over concerns about weapons being transported. Israel has repeatedly accused Tehran of using civilian aircraft to smuggle weapons to Hezbollah via Beirut Airport. The IDF has pledged to monitor airspace to prevent such shipments, along with regular attacks on smuggling sites along the Lebanese-Syrian border. Israel’s airstrikes in Syria, aimed at disrupting Iranian military operations, have heightened tensions in the region.

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